Xuanjian: I am the tenth son of Zhenchi, and I plot to seize the throne from Zhenlong.

Midnight, in a dense forest.

Zhang Zeguan was sitting by the campfire, fiddling with a bottle of blood energy. Guided by his spiritual power, the blood energy was being drawn out of the bottle and filled into a blackened incision on his abdomen.

After a long while, once the charred marks on the wound disappeared and fresh blood flowed out, he reluctantly sealed the jade bottle, shook it twice in the firelight, and the blood essence in the jade bottle was mostly consumed.

"Damn it, that kid's temper is even more wicked than most people's."

Zhang Zeguan cursed under his breath, put away the jade bottle, and took out a raw chicken from his storage bag to roast.

He had encountered several cultivators who practiced fire cultivation on his way down from the north, but he avoided them all. The injuries he sustained in the two rare encounters he had with them never required so much blood and energy.

These places are not as chaotic as his hometown. Every time he kills some two-legged sheep to extract their blood essence, he is relentlessly pursued and attacked by these clan cultivators for a long time.

The spiritual items he possessed were dwindling with each use. If it weren't for the slippery and wicked nature of his cultivation technique, he would have perished long ago.

He started stuffing the half-cooked chicken, still dripping blood, into his mouth. Just as he was devouring it, some noises suddenly came from the woods.

He immediately became alert, scanning his surroundings with his spiritual sense. A figure suddenly appeared in the forest, his aura familiar – it was the kid who had injured him.

Zhang Zeguan was shocked. That kid actually had a concealment artifact on him, and he only noticed it when he got so close.

He immediately dropped the half chicken in his hand, picked up the long knife, turned around and pointed it at Su Ming, who had just entered the firelight, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily for any possible encirclement.

At the same time, he shouted sternly, "Kid, do you really think I'm made of clay? I let you go during the day, and you still dare to chase after me!"

Su Ming tried to keep a friendly expression on his face, holding his sword but remaining secretly vigilant, without pointing the blade at anyone. He spoke in a casual manner:

"Senior, you misunderstand. I've come here to discuss a business deal with you."

"A deal? I fought you yesterday, and you sneak up on me tonight saying you want to do business with me? Do you take me for some kind of idiot?"

Zhang Zeguan's eyes showed no disbelief, yet he continued to shout fiercely, ready to flee at any moment.

Su Ming knew that there was no basis for trust between the two, so he took a deep breath, threw the sword in his hand to the ground, and stretched out his hands with his palms facing the other person.

"Senior, please allow me to speak."

"Oh?"

Zhang Zeguan had already scanned the surroundings several times with his spiritual sense, confirming that there were most likely no ambushes nearby.

Seeing the young man's demeanor and lack of hostility, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and gestured for him to continue.

However, Su Ming's next words made him tense up again, and he almost couldn't help but want to take action.

Su Ming then said softly and definitively, "Senior, you accepted bribes and are feigning humiliation to actually take my life, aren't you?"

Zhang Zeguan remained silent for a few moments, then chuckled softly.

"Now that you know all this, you still dare to chase after me?"

He was a little confused. He didn't know what was wrong with the kid opposite him, or if he had some powerful advantage.

"I am Su Ming, the second son of the Su family in the surrounding area. May I ask, senior, is the woman who bought my life a very seductive woman?"

Zhang Zeguan narrowed his eyes, finding the situation somewhat interesting. He had no professional ethics whatsoever, and immediately sold out his employer's business:

"The person who bought your life was masked and concealed their presence; I don't know if they were male or female, but they were very generous, spending... thirty spirit stones!"

This price was just something Zhang Zeguan quoted randomly; why would he need so many spirit stones to kill someone at the second level of Qi Refining?

He had a clue about the current situation and guessed that the kid also wanted to hire him to kill the woman he mentioned. Zhang Zeguan took this opportunity to make an exorbitant demand.

Su Ming chuckled, knowing that the other party understood his meaning, and then said in a seductive tone, "Senior, there's no need to quote such a high price. I don't think I'm worth that many spirit stones."

"I can't afford to give that much."

"Oh? No problem, we can discuss the price. How much are you willing to offer?"

"I only have five here." Su Ming said casually, slowly patting the storage bag at his waist, taking out five spirit stones and throwing them over.

Zhang Zeguan naturally wouldn't reveal any weakness in his ability to catch it, simply letting the spirit stones scatter on the ground. He glanced at them casually, a look of surprise flashing across his face, and said with a hint of annoyance:

"You're so poor, what business are you trying to do with me? For the sake of these five spirit stones, I'll let you off this time. Get lost!"

"Senior, please calm down. I don't have it on me, but that woman definitely does."

Zhang Zeguan's eyes darted around, but his face remained unmoved. He sneered, "You're not dead, so why would that woman you're talking about come to see me?"

"Senior, are you aware that I cultivate the Dual Fire technique?"

Zhang Zeguan curled his lip: "I know, you're a piece of stinking dog shit. If it weren't for your Xiu Binghuo, I would have killed you yesterday."

Su Ming had a smile on his face.

"Burning the fire will damage one's nature and even kill one. I have a secret method that can temporarily erase one's own life and extinguish the soul lamps of the clan. In that case, senior, do you think that woman will come?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zeguan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his tone was filled with disbelief: "Are you serious? What kind of secret technique is so powerful?"

Su Ming's eyes shone with confidence as he declared, "If it weren't for this secret technique, I wouldn't have sought out you, senior."

Jiang Shi nodded and smiled from the side. What kind of bullshit secret technique was that? It was all a lie he told Su Ming. The soul lamp that a small Qi Refining clan could have was not a high-level thing. He could easily fool Su Ming by hiding his life under the activation of "Concealing Spirit".

Zhang Zeguan lowered his eyes, his mind in turmoil: "No wonder, no wonder this kid's internal energy is stronger than others, it turns out he has a fortuitous opportunity to inherit the Dao. Should I kill him and rob him? No, no, no... He can get so close silently, he must have something to rely on."

He then became resentful: Damn it, why didn't I have such a good chance, while this hothead got it?

Seeing that the cultivator remained silent for a long time, Su Ming's heart began to pound, and he quickly unleashed his final attack:

"Senior, besides that, I've also discovered a small spirit field... guarded by only a Qi Refining Level 2 cultivator. Since I'm burned, the magic array can be broken in an instant. Perhaps..."

Before Su Ming could finish speaking, Zhang Zeguan burst into laughter, finally sheathing his long sword: "Kid, you're just my type. I'll do this deal with you!"

"May I ask your name, senior?"

"Zhang Ergou".

Su Ming curled his lip; the name was just a hoax, and he didn't care.

He took a few steps over, picked up the spirit stones on the ground, and handed them to the black-robed cultivator, which made Zhang Ze Guan even more enthusiastic. He quickly invited Su Ming to sit down by the fire.

"Senior, there are some things I must say beforehand. This is something you and I should know. All the other survivors must be eliminated. That woman is quite beautiful; we can't let things go wrong."

"Kid, you look down on me, but this is what I need to tell you: if things get out, neither of us will be in good shape."

Zhang Zeguan picked up the chicken again and started gnawing on it, his mouth bulging as he mumbled, "I, Zhang... Er Gou, have a rule: since you and I worked together on the spirit field matter, it doesn't count as a business deal. You can get a share of the spirit resources afterwards."